(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a machine for working sheet material, such as sheet metal, comprising at the same time means for mechanical working, operating by pressing or stamping, and laser working means.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
Such machines, comprising in combination a stamping device permitting the mechanical working of sheet material and a laser working device, are known per se. However, in known machines of this type, it is not possible to work on a single and common axis during the stamping and during the laser working. It is more a matter of the juxtaposition of two arrangements on a common frame, which obviously renders the machine inconvenient. As a matter of fact, it is necessary to move the workpiece, with the attendant need for a precise positioning or indexing between the stamping operations and the laser working, which is not favourable and a considerable drawback.